Members

The AEC is open to corporations, partnerships and indigenous groups that have an economic interest in the Arctic. The AEC Legacy membership includes three business representatives from each Arctic state and three representatives from each Permanent Participant organization. The AEC welcomes the participation of other stakeholders from across the globe as non-voting members.

The AEC organizations in each Arctic state and the Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council can each name up to three representatives to the AEC. These 42 representatives form the AEC Legacy membership. This is the voting membership of the AEC.

The AEC Legacy Members represent the pan-Arctic business community from across the wide scope of Arctic commerce. With representation from businesses from all eight Arctic states and from Permanent Participants, the AEC represents the width of the Arctic business community. The AEC Legacy membership ranges from small and medium-sized businesses and traditional livelihoods to larger shipping and extractive industries.

Global focus is shifting north and there is growing interest by non-AEC members to participate in the AEC. If we are true to the “AEC Way” of building on the pillars of collaboration, partnership, innovation and peace, it is imperative for the AEC to provide both Arctic and sub-Arctic stakeholders an opportunity to participate, interact and collaborate with the Legacy Members of the AEC.

By creating two different non-voting membership categories the AEC ensures that it is open to corporations, partnerships and indigenous groups that have an economic interest in the Arctic. Members may contribute to AEC content, in various forms including, but not limited to, submitting ideas, participating in Working Groups and making presentations.

The Non-voting membership is divided into two classes:

Arctic Partner: Corporations, businesses, partnerships and indigenous groups coming from both the Arctic and from sub-Arctic regions, has the opportunity to join the AEC as an Arctic Partner.

Permafrost Partner: Micro, small or medium businesses that are not subsidiaries with 15 employees or less with their business domiciled or headquarters located within an Arctic state has the opportunity to join the AEC as a Permafrost Parter.

Permafrost Partner

Canada

Patrice Gilbert, Agnico Eagle

Mr. Gilbert is the Vice-President, Health, Safety and Community at Agnico Eagle and has held this position since 2013. Prior to his appointment, he was Vice-President, Human Resources of Agnico Eagle. Previously, Mr. Gilbert worked for the Placer Dome Group for 17 years in senior roles in Chile, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Canada (Quebec and British Columbia). Mr. Gilbert studied Industrial Relations at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, and Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa. Company website

Curtis Shaw, Northwestel

Based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, Mr. Shaw is the President at Northwestel.

Curtis first joined Northwestel in 1996, and has held progressive leadership roles, including Director of Marketing, General Manager of Northwestel Cable, Vice President of Marketing, and Chief Operating Officer. In his current position, Curtis is responsible for business strategy and day-to-day operations of Northwestel including marketing, engineering, customer service, and network operations with a team of 550 employees located in Canada’s north.

Curtis holds Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Science degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He has been involved in several community organizations and boards across northern Canada, including Yukon Energy Corporation, the Yukon Hospital Foundation, and the Yukon Chamber of Commerce. Company website

Lillian Hvatum-Brewster, ATCO Group

Lillian Hvatum-Brewster is the Vice President, Indigenous Community Relations & Development for ATCO Group. Ms. Hvatum-Brewster also works to develop new partnerships across Canada to expand opportunities, and brings more than 20 years of ATCO experience to the position. Company website.

Iceland

Heidar Gudjonsson, Sýn hf. (Vodafone)

Heidar Gudjonsson serves as the Arctic Economic Council’s Chairman during the Icelandic business community’s chairmanship (2019-2021).
Mr. Gudjonsson is the CEO of Sýn hf. (Vodafone), vice-chairman of HS Utility and chairman of the first infrastructure investment fund in the Arctic, Innviðir fjárfestingar slhf. (2015). Gudjonsson has been working in business in the Arctic for the last 20 years. After finishing his economic studies at the University of Iceland business led him to work in New York, London and Zurich, for close to two decades, but always with one foot firmly set in Iceland. Gudjonsson has built hydropower plants in the area, invested in infrastructure through electricity and water utilities and founded a Norwegian Icelandic oil exploration company. He is the Chairman of the Icelandic Arctic Chamber of Commerce, is on the Advisory Board of the Arctic Circle and author of the “Arctic Push” (2013), a bestseller in Iceland.

Halldor Benjamin Þorbergsson

Halldor Benjamin Þorbergsson is MD of Confederation of Icelandic Employers.

Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir, Fisheries Iceland

Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir is the CEO of Fisheries Iceland, the association of companies in the fishing industry in Iceland. Formed in October 2014 by the merger of the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners and the Federation of Icelandic Fish Processing Plants, Fisheries Iceland was set up to increase value creation in the country’s fishing industry by linking together all parts of the value chain. Ms. Lind Marteinsdóttir completed a law degree in 2007 and worked as an attorney and partner at LEX Law Offices, one of Iceland’s largest law firms, until hired by Fisheries Iceland in 2016. In her practice she primarily focused on property rights and company law. She is also an experienced litigator and has taught various legal courses at Reykjavik University and Bifrost University.

Kingdom of Denmark

Morten Glamsø, Danish Shipping

Since 2008 Morten Glamsø has been part of Danish Shipping as a senior adviser. Among other things he is responsible for Danish shipping’ interests in the Arctic.
Danish Shipping is a trade- and employer organisation for more than 40 shipowners and two offshore companies.
Company website.

Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Confederation of Danish Industry

Mads Qvist Frederiksen is an adviser at the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), which is Denmark’s largest business organization with more than 11.000 member companies. The organization is funded, owned and managed entirely by the companies that work with all sectors and industries. Mr. Frederiksen works in the Trade Policy Department, where he is the focal point for all Arctic related issues both in relation to policy and business development. Mr. Frederiksen is the head of an Arctic network compromising of companies from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Company website

Norway

Erling Kvadsheim

Erling Kvadsheim is the International Director at the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association. He has spent his entire career in the oil and gas sector and knows the industry and the issues that are important for this sector very well. He has a background as geologist, and has worked in oil companies, for the Norwegian authorities, as a strategy consultant and now as head of one of the departments in the oil companies’ industry association. Among his responsibilities are international relations and Arctic issues.

Christian Chramer, NHO (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise)

Christian Chramer holds the position as Director at NHO (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise).
Company website.

Amund Drønen Ringdahl, Norwegian Shipowners' Association

The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association is an employers’ organization and interest group for shipowners within deep sea and short sea shipping as well as offshore related businesses. The association has 150 members. The main goal is to ensure competitive conditions for Norwegian-affiliated shipping companies and offshore contractors both nationally and internationally.
Company website.

Russian Federation

Alexey Rakhmanov, United Shipbuilding Corporation

Alexey Rakhmanov was born on July 18, 1964.
In 1986, he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering. In 2003, he graduated from the School of Business at the University of Chicago with a degree of Master of Business Administration. In the early stages of his career, he held various positions in the public and private entities. In 1996, he joined international auditing and consulting firm Ernst & Young, where he worked until 2002. Between 2002 and 2008 he served as Director for Strategy and Business Development at JSC Severstal-Auto. In July 2008, he was appointed as a Director of the Department of Automotive Industry and Agricultural Machinery at Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, and in March 2012 – as a Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in charge of Shipbuilding, Automotive and other industries. He has been appointed as a President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation in June 2014
Alexey Rakhmanov is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University (SPbSMTU), Chairman of the Shipbuilding Industry and Marine Equipment Committee of the Russian Engineering Union, Member of the Russian Engineering Union Management Board, Cochairman of the Russian-Finnish Business Council, and Chairman of the Russia-South Korea Business Council. Company website

Evgeniy Ambrosov, Sovcomflot

Evgeniy Ambrosov is Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of PAO Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company and one of the world’s leading transporters of energy by sea. He joined the company in June 2009, with responsibility for commercial fleet operations, including a sophisticated fleet operating in the harsh environments of the Far Eastern and Arctic seas and for developing the potential of the Northern Sea Route for large tankers’ transits. A graduate of the Maritime State University in Vladivostok, Russia (1979), Mr. Ambrosov worked for nearly 30 years in Russia’s Far Eastern Shipping Company, rising from the position of Cargo Superintendent to President & CEO of the company. Company website.

Sweden

Bo Krogvig, LKAB

Bo Krogvig is the Senior Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs for Luossavaara – Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag, LKAB.
LKAB is an international and high-tech mining and minerals group that mines and upgrades the unique iron ore of northern Sweden for the global steel market. Sustainability is core to their business and their ambition is to be one of the industry’s most innovative, resource-efficient and responsible companies.
Company website.

United States of America

Gail Schubert, Bering Straits Native Corporation

Gail Anagick Schubert is the President & CEO of Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC), an Alaska Native regional corporation serving seventeen villages in the Bering Straits region. She is Inupiaq and was born and raised in Unalakleet, Alaska. She serves on a number of boards including the State of Alaska’s Retirement Management Board, the ANCSA Regional CEOs Association and the Alaska Federation of Natives. She is also a member of the Arctic Economic Council. Schubert earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, an MBA from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management, and her law degree from the Cornell Law School. She is an ATHENA society member, YWCA Woman of Achievement awardee and a 2014 recipient of the Northwest Indian Bar Association’s Unsung Hero Award.
Company website.

Lori Davey, GCI

Lori Davey is Vice President Enterprise Markets for GCI. Davey joined GCI in May of 2017 and brought over 20 years experience in growing successful teams and driving profitable business growth. Most recently, Ms.Davey was commercial/ enterprise sales director at ACS. Her previous executive experience includes general manager of Fairweather LLC, an oilfield service company operating the Deadhorse Aviation Center and owner of Motznik Information Services, a data-mining and online search engine of Alaska public records. She earned her BA and MBA from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She was recognized in 2009 as a Top 40 under 40. She serves as a Trustee for Alaska Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, as the President for Education Matters, and is a Finance Committee member of Alaska Community Foundation. She is also Fund Manager - Accelerator Fund I and II – 49th State Angel funds investing in Anchorage entrepreneur’s startups with private and matched public funds.
Company website.

Aleut International Association (AIA)

The Aleut International Association (AIA) is an Alaska Native not-for-profit corporation, registered in the State of Alaska, United States of America, in 1998.
AIA was formed by the Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Association, U.S., one of the thirteen regional not-for-profit Alaska Native corporations created as a result of Alaska Native Settlement Claims Act in 1971, and the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Aleut District of the Kamchatka Region of the Russian Federation (AIPNADKR). AIA is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of four Alaskan and four Russian Aleuts under the leadership of a president. Website.

Jenifer Nelson

Jenifer Nelson was appointed to the Arctic Economic Council to represent the Aleut International Association and serves as the Vice Chair of the Aleut Corporation Board of Directors. She is also the Senior Manager of Community Relations at General Communication Inc (GCI). She is passionate about improving the lives of people living in Arctic Alaska and works to build strong relationships with Alaskans across the state, especially in rural communities. In her role, she is responsible for developing GCI’s strategies and programs in rural communities and ensuring customers have a voice. She is a leading member of GCI’s Rural Affairs Committee and GCI’s Arctic working group where she champions projects that improve services in sparsely populated areas. Jenifer’s valuable insight into Alaska Native culture has earned her positions on a number of boards and committees including the Arctic Council’s Task Force on Telecommunications in the Arctic (TFTIA) under the US chairmanship. She is currently part of the Task Force to Improve Connectivity in the Arctic (TFICA) under the Finnish chairmanship.

Nathan McCowan

Mr. McCowan is the President & CEO of St. George Tanaq Corporation, the village corporation formed for the Unangax people of St. George Island pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. He oversees both the business interests of Tanaq on-island (tourism & hospitality, bulk fuel distribution, land development, reindeer management) and off-island activities, primarily in U.S. federal government contracting (engineering, environmental services, base operations support, and design and publications). In addition, he serves on numerous boards and committees, including as chair of Alaska Native Village Corporations Association, which represents all 176 village corporations in Alaska, and he coaches youth sports teams for his two beautiful children. Mr. McCowan has earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He also does not wear a watch.

Thomas Mack, Aleut Corporation

Mr. Mack is the President & CEO of The Aleut Corporation. Mr. Mack oversees the corporation’s business operations and subsidiaries which provide Government Contracting, Fuel Sales, Mechanical Construction, Radiochemical Analysis and Remediation, Industrial Products and Services and Real Estate Management. The Company also participates in various partnerships, joint ventures and other business activities. The Aleut Corporation is one of the thirteen Regional Native Corporations that were established in 1972 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Company website.
Mr. Mack was raised in King Cove, located on the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, and is an original shareholder of both The Aleut Corporation and King Cove Corporation. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree at Alaska Pacific University, a Master’s of Science degree from Western Oregon University and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Mr. Mack also completed numerous executive leadership programs at Stanford University, the University of Chicago Booth and Harvard University.

Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC)

The Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC) is an international treaty organization established to defend the rights and further the interests internationally of American and Canadian Athabaskan member First Nation governments in the eight-nation Arctic Council and other international fora. AAC is an authorized “Permanent Participant” in the Arctic Council. In addition, AAC seeks to foster a greater understanding of the shared heritage of Athabaskan peoples of Arctic North America.
In 2000, founding members of the AAC represented approximately 32,000 indigenous peoples of Athabaskan descent at the time of signing the AAC treaty. At present, AAC members in Alaska (including fifteen traditional villages), Yukon (the Council of Yukon First Nations and the Kaska Tribal Council) and Northwest Territories (Dene Nation) span across 76 communities and represent approximately 45,000 people. Website.

Raina Thiele

Raina Thiele is the founder and principal consultant at Thiele Strategies LLC. The company provides a range of services including, high-level policy and federal budget strategy guidance to clients and manages and executes client Communications strategies. Thiele previously held the position as White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement Associate Director. She has a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Yale College.

Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC)

The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) represents approximately 160,000 Inuit in Alaska/United States, Canada, Greenland/Denmark and Chukotka/Russia. Founded in 1977 by the late Eben Hopson Sr. in Barrow, Alaska, the ICC has flourished and grown into a major international indigenous peoples organization. Website.

Liz Qualluq Cravalho, NANA Regional Corporation

Elizabeth Qualluq Cravahlo is Vice President, External and Govnerment Affairs at NANA. Ms. Cravahlo oversees External and Government Affairs across NANA, and builds key relationships in the public and private sectors. She and her team work to represent and advance NANA’s interests in various areas of policy, including Arctic opportunities, indigenous representation, and initiatives that further NANA’s business goals. Company website.

Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON)

RAIPON was founded in 1990 at the first Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North of USSR.
Now RAIPON is the Russian umbrella organization which organizes 35 regional and ethnic organizations of indigenous peoples in the regions where they live. RAIPON represents 41 groups of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. The total number of People is more than 270 thousand and they live in 60 % of the Whole Territory of the Russian Federation from Murmansk to Kamchatka.
The purpose of RAIPON is to protect indigenous peoples' human rights, defend their legal interests, assist in solving environmenta, social, economic, cultural and educational issues, and to promote their right to self governance. RAIPON works with the State Duma and the Government of the Russian Federation regarding legislation related to indigenous peoples' issues. Website.

Grigory Ledkov, RAIPON

Grigorii Ledkov is Nenets, and was born in the city of Naryan-Mar, Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO), Russia. He holds two university degrees: one in Cultural Studies from the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia; the other in Law from St. Petersburg State University. Ledkov has a wide ranging work experience. He started his professional life as a curriculum developer at the Ethno-Cultural Center in the NAO and later led this institution as Director. Some years later Grigory moved to Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) and worked there in different positions, including as Head of Administration of the village of Gydan, Taz municipality; the Director of the municipal institution "Management of Municipal Property" and the Chair of the Reindeer Herding Production Cooperative "Taz". In 2011 he was elected to the Parliament of the Russian Federation (RF) and was reelected in 2016, representing the YNAO in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. As a member of Parliament, he has focused on Indigenous Peoples polices, as well as Circumpolar North and Arctic issues. He is a head of a working group on the development of federal laws on indigenous peoples’ rights, in the Committee on Nationalities of the State Duma of the RF. He is also the head of the permanent delegation of the State Duma to the Nordic Council. In March 2013 he was elected as President of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (RAIPON). He is married and has four children.

Sergey Sizonenko, RAIPON

Vice Chair of RAIPON Business Council.
Sergey Sizonenko is Dolgan and grew up in the village of Karaul, Ust-Yenisei district of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. He has two university degrees in Law. He has gained work experience in multiple environments including in the administration of the Taymyr Dolgan-Nenets District, the District's Parliament, the NadymGazprom Company, the reindeer herding enterprise Suzun, and more. His Public Activity both at the federal Levels is very high. Sizonenko is Deputy Chairman of the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets Autonomous District Council and a Chairman of the Permanent Committee on the North, Subsurface Resources Management, Environment and Indigenous Peoples of Taimyr. He was also elected to be Vice Chair of the RAIPON Business Council. Sergey's hobbies are chedd and Taekwondo in which he holds a Second Degree black belt. He is married and has a daughter.

Lyubov Peshperova, RAIPON

Liubov Peshperova was born in the village of Shunurak, Tuochak in the district og Altain. She is Kumandin by nationality. In 1975, she graduated from Altai State Pedagogical Institute as a teacher of biology. She has gained work experience in the university, regional administration and business. In 1992, she established her own company that has focus on trade, Food production and tourism. Since 1999, she has also been working in local and regional indiginous organizations and in 2013 was elected as President of "Ringing Cedars", the regional Association of Indigenous Peoples of the Altai Republic. Her Public service work was also at the federal level and she was elected as a Vice President of RAIPON on the Development og Entrepreneurship and as Vice Chair of the RAIPON Business Council.

Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC

Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners. Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC has been an investor and long-time advocate for Arctic development. They were also involved the development the Arctic Investment Protocol, originally a product of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Arctic and now further developed by the AEC.

Union of Greekshipowners (UGS)

UGS represents Greek-owned vessels under Greek or other European and third country flags. Its members are primarily active in the bulk/tramp sector including LNG carriers and tankers. Shipping is the most important industry in Greece, and Greek-owned vessels were among the first to navigate through the Arctic sea route.
“The Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), being the international institutional representative of the largest ship owning nation in the world, acknowledges the important work of the Arctic Economic Council in respect of promoting a comprehensive and holistic approach to the issues affecting the Arctic region. The UGS is especially keen to contribute to this holistic approach by offering its vast experience and deep knowledge in ship operation and navigation in the Arctic policy discussions, always with a view to ensuring the safety of life at sea and the protection of the environment as absolute priorities”, Mr. Theodore E. Veniamis, President of the UGS, states.

NANA Regional Corporation

NANA Regional Corporation is a for-profit Alaska Native Corporation with a social responsibility to its 14,300 Inupiat shareholders who are from Northwest Alaska. NANA has three focal areas of business including mineral development on NANA lands, providing services to the U.S. Government through its Federal Group of companies and serving a wide variety of customers, including the Alaska natural resources industry through its Commercial Group of companies.
Company website.

HENSOLDT Sensors GmbH

HENSOLDT Sensors GmbH is a globally leading supplier of premium sensors for security and surveillance missions, and they are well represented in the market for radar systems, optronics and electronic protection. The company has approximately 4,000 employees and their headquarter is in Germany.
Company website.

Korea Shipowners' Association

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) is a private, for-profit corporation that is owned by and represents the business interests of its approximately 12,000 Iñupiat Eskimo shareholders in the eight villages within the region: Point Hope, Point Lay, Wainwright, Atqasuk, Barrow, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik and Anaktuvuk Pass.
Corporate headquarters are based in Barrow, Alaska, with administrative and subsidiary offices located in Anchorage and throughout the United States. ASRC, along with its family of companies, is the largest Alaskan-owned company, employing approximately 10,000 people worldwide.
ASRC’s mission is to actively manage our businesses, our lands and resources, our investments, and our relationships to enhance Iñupiaq cultural and economic freedom – with continuity, responsibility, and integrity.
Lines of Business: Energy Support Services, Petroleum Refining and Marketing, Government Services, Construction, Industrial Services, Resource Development

Cosco Shipping Lines Finland Oy

Cosco Shipping Lines Finland Oy works with shipping, railway and logistics service, offshore new build and ship building as well as port terminal operations and investment.

Equinor

Equinor is an international energy company and the world’s largest offshore operator, with 20 500 employees and operations in more than 30 countries worldwide. The company’s headquarter is in Stavanger, Norway. Equinor aims to be the world’s most carbon-efficient oil and gas producer, as well as driving innovation in offshore wind. Equinor recognize expert scientific consensus on human-induced climate change, and support action to meet the 2-degree target, the COP21 Paris agreement, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. Equinor is the leading offshore operator in the Norwegian Barents Sea, and has produced gas from the region since 2007. Equior has during recent years developed a portfolio of new energy solutions, currently delivering wind power to 650,000 British households. Until 2018 the company was named Statoil. Company website.

Sparebank1 Nord-Norge

SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge has grown in step with the development of the local communities and the region. In the new century, Northern Norway boasts progressive businesses ranging from aquaculture and fishing to high tech and tourism; meanwhile, we have become a modern financial establishment that had total assets of NOK 93.5 billion at the end of Q3 2017.
SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge can carry out all banking services. This includes payment, savings, loans and insurance. SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge is easily accessible, with 38 offices in 36 municipalities in Nordland, Troms, Finnmark and Svalbard. In addition, people can find SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge online and on mobile device. Around 350 000 retail customers and around 40 000 corporate customers (including public sector, societies and associations) have chosen as their bank.
Company website

Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation

Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) is the Alaska Native Village Corporation for Barrow, Alaska and provides social and economic resources to over 2,900 shareholders and their descendants. Since its establishment, UIC has diversified its investments and consistently ranks among the top-10 largest Alaskan-owned companies. UIC employs more than 3000 people and provides services to clients in a variety of industries, including operations in Barrow; construction; architecture and engineering; regulatory consulting; information technology; marine operations; and maintenance and manufacturing. Company Website.

Nunavut Fisheries Association (NFA)

Nunavut Fisheries Association (NFA) is a not for profit corporation established to present a united voice for Nunavut’s commercial fishing industry to stakeholders and the public at the territorial and federal levels. NFA also supports fisheries and ecosystem science and research activities in the Eastern Arctic, working collaboratively with stakeholders and conducting its own annual research program, all in support of sustainable fisheries development in the north.
The NFA’s current membership consists of four Inuit owned companies which hold 100% of the commercial allocations of Greenland halibut (turbot) and shrimp managed through the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
“Partnership with the AEC is an opportunity for us to further our goals on sustainable resource development, primarily for the benefit of the Inuit of the north and to have an active voice in the future of our territory and the broader arctic region. We are excited to collaborate and contribute to economic development in the Arctic with other Arctic businesses and nations,” comments Lootie Toomasie, Chair of the Nunavut Fisheries Association.
Mr. Toomasie continues: “NFA is very interested in supporting sustainable Arctic economic and business development and our members are looking forward to joining the AEC Working groups on Investments and Infrastructure and Responsible Resource Development. “

Maine North Atlantic Development Office (MENADO)

MENADO facilitates the development of North Atlantic/Arctic networks connecting Maine businesses, educators and innovation leaders with regional opportunities for trade in goods, services and innovation exchanges.

Countries

Patrice Gilbert, Agnico Eagle

Mr. Gilbert is the Vice-President, Health, Safety and Community at Agnico Eagle and has held this position since 2013. Prior to his appointment, he was Vice-President, Human Resources of Agnico Eagle. Previously, Mr. Gilbert worked for the Placer Dome Group for 17 years in senior roles in Chile, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Canada (Quebec and British Columbia). Mr. Gilbert studied Industrial Relations at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, and Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa. Company website

Curtis Shaw, Northwestel

Based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, Mr. Shaw is the President at Northwestel.

Curtis first joined Northwestel in 1996, and has held progressive leadership roles, including Director of Marketing, General Manager of Northwestel Cable, Vice President of Marketing, and Chief Operating Officer. In his current position, Curtis is responsible for business strategy and day-to-day operations of Northwestel including marketing, engineering, customer service, and network operations with a team of 550 employees located in Canada’s north.

Curtis holds Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Science degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He has been involved in several community organizations and boards across northern Canada, including Yukon Energy Corporation, the Yukon Hospital Foundation, and the Yukon Chamber of Commerce. Company website

Lillian Hvatum-Brewster, ATCO Group

Lillian Hvatum-Brewster is the Vice President, Indigenous Community Relations & Development for ATCO Group. Ms. Hvatum-Brewster also works to develop new partnerships across Canada to expand opportunities, and brings more than 20 years of ATCO experience to the position. Company website.

Heidar Gudjonsson, Sýn hf. (Vodafone)

Heidar Gudjonsson serves as the Arctic Economic Council’s Chairman during the Icelandic business community’s chairmanship (2019-2021).
Mr. Gudjonsson is the CEO of Sýn hf. (Vodafone), vice-chairman of HS Utility and chairman of the first infrastructure investment fund in the Arctic, Innviðir fjárfestingar slhf. (2015). Gudjonsson has been working in business in the Arctic for the last 20 years. After finishing his economic studies at the University of Iceland business led him to work in New York, London and Zurich, for close to two decades, but always with one foot firmly set in Iceland. Gudjonsson has built hydropower plants in the area, invested in infrastructure through electricity and water utilities and founded a Norwegian Icelandic oil exploration company. He is the Chairman of the Icelandic Arctic Chamber of Commerce, is on the Advisory Board of the Arctic Circle and author of the “Arctic Push” (2013), a bestseller in Iceland.

Halldor Benjamin Þorbergsson

Halldor Benjamin Þorbergsson is MD of Confederation of Icelandic Employers.

Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir, Fisheries Iceland

Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir is the CEO of Fisheries Iceland, the association of companies in the fishing industry in Iceland. Formed in October 2014 by the merger of the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners and the Federation of Icelandic Fish Processing Plants, Fisheries Iceland was set up to increase value creation in the country’s fishing industry by linking together all parts of the value chain. Ms. Lind Marteinsdóttir completed a law degree in 2007 and worked as an attorney and partner at LEX Law Offices, one of Iceland’s largest law firms, until hired by Fisheries Iceland in 2016. In her practice she primarily focused on property rights and company law. She is also an experienced litigator and has taught various legal courses at Reykjavik University and Bifrost University.

Morten Glamsø, Danish Shipping

Since 2008 Morten Glamsø has been part of Danish Shipping as a senior adviser. Among other things he is responsible for Danish shipping’ interests in the Arctic.
Danish Shipping is a trade- and employer organisation for more than 40 shipowners and two offshore companies.
Company website.

Mads Qvist Frederiksen, Confederation of Danish Industry

Mads Qvist Frederiksen is an adviser at the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), which is Denmark’s largest business organization with more than 11.000 member companies. The organization is funded, owned and managed entirely by the companies that work with all sectors and industries. Mr. Frederiksen works in the Trade Policy Department, where he is the focal point for all Arctic related issues both in relation to policy and business development. Mr. Frederiksen is the head of an Arctic network compromising of companies from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Company website

Erling Kvadsheim

Erling Kvadsheim is the International Director at the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association. He has spent his entire career in the oil and gas sector and knows the industry and the issues that are important for this sector very well. He has a background as geologist, and has worked in oil companies, for the Norwegian authorities, as a strategy consultant and now as head of one of the departments in the oil companies’ industry association. Among his responsibilities are international relations and Arctic issues.

Christian Chramer, NHO (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise)

Christian Chramer holds the position as Director at NHO (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise).
Company website.

Amund Drønen Ringdahl, Norwegian Shipowners' Association

The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association is an employers’ organization and interest group for shipowners within deep sea and short sea shipping as well as offshore related businesses. The association has 150 members. The main goal is to ensure competitive conditions for Norwegian-affiliated shipping companies and offshore contractors both nationally and internationally.
Company website.

Alexey Rakhmanov, United Shipbuilding Corporation

Alexey Rakhmanov was born on July 18, 1964.
In 1986, he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering. In 2003, he graduated from the School of Business at the University of Chicago with a degree of Master of Business Administration. In the early stages of his career, he held various positions in the public and private entities. In 1996, he joined international auditing and consulting firm Ernst & Young, where he worked until 2002. Between 2002 and 2008 he served as Director for Strategy and Business Development at JSC Severstal-Auto. In July 2008, he was appointed as a Director of the Department of Automotive Industry and Agricultural Machinery at Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, and in March 2012 – as a Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in charge of Shipbuilding, Automotive and other industries. He has been appointed as a President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation in June 2014
Alexey Rakhmanov is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University (SPbSMTU), Chairman of the Shipbuilding Industry and Marine Equipment Committee of the Russian Engineering Union, Member of the Russian Engineering Union Management Board, Cochairman of the Russian-Finnish Business Council, and Chairman of the Russia-South Korea Business Council. Company website

Evgeniy Ambrosov, Sovcomflot

Evgeniy Ambrosov is Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of PAO Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company and one of the world’s leading transporters of energy by sea. He joined the company in June 2009, with responsibility for commercial fleet operations, including a sophisticated fleet operating in the harsh environments of the Far Eastern and Arctic seas and for developing the potential of the Northern Sea Route for large tankers’ transits. A graduate of the Maritime State University in Vladivostok, Russia (1979), Mr. Ambrosov worked for nearly 30 years in Russia’s Far Eastern Shipping Company, rising from the position of Cargo Superintendent to President & CEO of the company. Company website.

Bo Krogvig, LKAB

Bo Krogvig is the Senior Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs for Luossavaara – Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag, LKAB.
LKAB is an international and high-tech mining and minerals group that mines and upgrades the unique iron ore of northern Sweden for the global steel market. Sustainability is core to their business and their ambition is to be one of the industry’s most innovative, resource-efficient and responsible companies.
Company website.

Gail Schubert, Bering Straits Native Corporation

Gail Anagick Schubert is the President & CEO of Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC), an Alaska Native regional corporation serving seventeen villages in the Bering Straits region. She is Inupiaq and was born and raised in Unalakleet, Alaska. She serves on a number of boards including the State of Alaska’s Retirement Management Board, the ANCSA Regional CEOs Association and the Alaska Federation of Natives. She is also a member of the Arctic Economic Council. Schubert earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, an MBA from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management, and her law degree from the Cornell Law School. She is an ATHENA society member, YWCA Woman of Achievement awardee and a 2014 recipient of the Northwest Indian Bar Association’s Unsung Hero Award.
Company website.

Lori Davey, GCI

Lori Davey is Vice President Enterprise Markets for GCI. Davey joined GCI in May of 2017 and brought over 20 years experience in growing successful teams and driving profitable business growth. Most recently, Ms.Davey was commercial/ enterprise sales director at ACS. Her previous executive experience includes general manager of Fairweather LLC, an oilfield service company operating the Deadhorse Aviation Center and owner of Motznik Information Services, a data-mining and online search engine of Alaska public records. She earned her BA and MBA from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She was recognized in 2009 as a Top 40 under 40. She serves as a Trustee for Alaska Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, as the President for Education Matters, and is a Finance Committee member of Alaska Community Foundation. She is also Fund Manager - Accelerator Fund I and II – 49th State Angel funds investing in Anchorage entrepreneur’s startups with private and matched public funds.
Company website.

Indigenous organizations

The Aleut International Association (AIA) is an Alaska Native not-for-profit corporation, registered in the State of Alaska, United States of America, in 1998.
AIA was formed by the Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Association, U.S., one of the thirteen regional not-for-profit Alaska Native corporations created as a result of Alaska Native Settlement Claims Act in 1971, and the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Aleut District of the Kamchatka Region of the Russian Federation (AIPNADKR). AIA is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of four Alaskan and four Russian Aleuts under the leadership of a president. Website.

Jenifer Nelson

Jenifer Nelson was appointed to the Arctic Economic Council to represent the Aleut International Association and serves as the Vice Chair of the Aleut Corporation Board of Directors. She is also the Senior Manager of Community Relations at General Communication Inc (GCI). She is passionate about improving the lives of people living in Arctic Alaska and works to build strong relationships with Alaskans across the state, especially in rural communities. In her role, she is responsible for developing GCI’s strategies and programs in rural communities and ensuring customers have a voice. She is a leading member of GCI’s Rural Affairs Committee and GCI’s Arctic working group where she champions projects that improve services in sparsely populated areas. Jenifer’s valuable insight into Alaska Native culture has earned her positions on a number of boards and committees including the Arctic Council’s Task Force on Telecommunications in the Arctic (TFTIA) under the US chairmanship. She is currently part of the Task Force to Improve Connectivity in the Arctic (TFICA) under the Finnish chairmanship.

Nathan McCowan

Mr. McCowan is the President & CEO of St. George Tanaq Corporation, the village corporation formed for the Unangax people of St. George Island pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. He oversees both the business interests of Tanaq on-island (tourism & hospitality, bulk fuel distribution, land development, reindeer management) and off-island activities, primarily in U.S. federal government contracting (engineering, environmental services, base operations support, and design and publications). In addition, he serves on numerous boards and committees, including as chair of Alaska Native Village Corporations Association, which represents all 176 village corporations in Alaska, and he coaches youth sports teams for his two beautiful children. Mr. McCowan has earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He also does not wear a watch.

Thomas Mack, Aleut Corporation

Mr. Mack is the President & CEO of The Aleut Corporation. Mr. Mack oversees the corporation’s business operations and subsidiaries which provide Government Contracting, Fuel Sales, Mechanical Construction, Radiochemical Analysis and Remediation, Industrial Products and Services and Real Estate Management. The Company also participates in various partnerships, joint ventures and other business activities. The Aleut Corporation is one of the thirteen Regional Native Corporations that were established in 1972 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Company website.
Mr. Mack was raised in King Cove, located on the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, and is an original shareholder of both The Aleut Corporation and King Cove Corporation. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree at Alaska Pacific University, a Master’s of Science degree from Western Oregon University and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Mr. Mack also completed numerous executive leadership programs at Stanford University, the University of Chicago Booth and Harvard University.

The Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC) is an international treaty organization established to defend the rights and further the interests internationally of American and Canadian Athabaskan member First Nation governments in the eight-nation Arctic Council and other international fora. AAC is an authorized “Permanent Participant” in the Arctic Council. In addition, AAC seeks to foster a greater understanding of the shared heritage of Athabaskan peoples of Arctic North America.
In 2000, founding members of the AAC represented approximately 32,000 indigenous peoples of Athabaskan descent at the time of signing the AAC treaty. At present, AAC members in Alaska (including fifteen traditional villages), Yukon (the Council of Yukon First Nations and the Kaska Tribal Council) and Northwest Territories (Dene Nation) span across 76 communities and represent approximately 45,000 people. Website.

Raina Thiele

Raina Thiele is the founder and principal consultant at Thiele Strategies LLC. The company provides a range of services including, high-level policy and federal budget strategy guidance to clients and manages and executes client Communications strategies. Thiele previously held the position as White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement Associate Director. She has a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Yale College.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) represents approximately 160,000 Inuit in Alaska/United States, Canada, Greenland/Denmark and Chukotka/Russia. Founded in 1977 by the late Eben Hopson Sr. in Barrow, Alaska, the ICC has flourished and grown into a major international indigenous peoples organization. Website.

Liz Qualluq Cravalho, NANA Regional Corporation

Elizabeth Qualluq Cravahlo is Vice President, External and Govnerment Affairs at NANA. Ms. Cravahlo oversees External and Government Affairs across NANA, and builds key relationships in the public and private sectors. She and her team work to represent and advance NANA’s interests in various areas of policy, including Arctic opportunities, indigenous representation, and initiatives that further NANA’s business goals. Company website.

RAIPON was founded in 1990 at the first Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North of USSR.
Now RAIPON is the Russian umbrella organization which organizes 35 regional and ethnic organizations of indigenous peoples in the regions where they live. RAIPON represents 41 groups of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. The total number of People is more than 270 thousand and they live in 60 % of the Whole Territory of the Russian Federation from Murmansk to Kamchatka.
The purpose of RAIPON is to protect indigenous peoples' human rights, defend their legal interests, assist in solving environmenta, social, economic, cultural and educational issues, and to promote their right to self governance. RAIPON works with the State Duma and the Government of the Russian Federation regarding legislation related to indigenous peoples' issues. Website.

Grigory Ledkov, RAIPON

Grigorii Ledkov is Nenets, and was born in the city of Naryan-Mar, Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO), Russia. He holds two university degrees: one in Cultural Studies from the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia; the other in Law from St. Petersburg State University. Ledkov has a wide ranging work experience. He started his professional life as a curriculum developer at the Ethno-Cultural Center in the NAO and later led this institution as Director. Some years later Grigory moved to Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) and worked there in different positions, including as Head of Administration of the village of Gydan, Taz municipality; the Director of the municipal institution "Management of Municipal Property" and the Chair of the Reindeer Herding Production Cooperative "Taz". In 2011 he was elected to the Parliament of the Russian Federation (RF) and was reelected in 2016, representing the YNAO in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. As a member of Parliament, he has focused on Indigenous Peoples polices, as well as Circumpolar North and Arctic issues. He is a head of a working group on the development of federal laws on indigenous peoples’ rights, in the Committee on Nationalities of the State Duma of the RF. He is also the head of the permanent delegation of the State Duma to the Nordic Council. In March 2013 he was elected as President of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (RAIPON). He is married and has four children.

Sergey Sizonenko, RAIPON

Vice Chair of RAIPON Business Council.
Sergey Sizonenko is Dolgan and grew up in the village of Karaul, Ust-Yenisei district of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. He has two university degrees in Law. He has gained work experience in multiple environments including in the administration of the Taymyr Dolgan-Nenets District, the District's Parliament, the NadymGazprom Company, the reindeer herding enterprise Suzun, and more. His Public Activity both at the federal Levels is very high. Sizonenko is Deputy Chairman of the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets Autonomous District Council and a Chairman of the Permanent Committee on the North, Subsurface Resources Management, Environment and Indigenous Peoples of Taimyr. He was also elected to be Vice Chair of the RAIPON Business Council. Sergey's hobbies are chedd and Taekwondo in which he holds a Second Degree black belt. He is married and has a daughter.

Lyubov Peshperova, RAIPON

Liubov Peshperova was born in the village of Shunurak, Tuochak in the district og Altain. She is Kumandin by nationality. In 1975, she graduated from Altai State Pedagogical Institute as a teacher of biology. She has gained work experience in the university, regional administration and business. In 1992, she established her own company that has focus on trade, Food production and tourism. Since 1999, she has also been working in local and regional indiginous organizations and in 2013 was elected as President of "Ringing Cedars", the regional Association of Indigenous Peoples of the Altai Republic. Her Public service work was also at the federal level and she was elected as a Vice President of RAIPON on the Development og Entrepreneurship and as Vice Chair of the RAIPON Business Council.

Arctic Partner

Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners. Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC has been an investor and long-time advocate for Arctic development. They were also involved the development the Arctic Investment Protocol, originally a product of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Arctic and now further developed by the AEC.

UGS represents Greek-owned vessels under Greek or other European and third country flags. Its members are primarily active in the bulk/tramp sector including LNG carriers and tankers. Shipping is the most important industry in Greece, and Greek-owned vessels were among the first to navigate through the Arctic sea route.
“The Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), being the international institutional representative of the largest ship owning nation in the world, acknowledges the important work of the Arctic Economic Council in respect of promoting a comprehensive and holistic approach to the issues affecting the Arctic region. The UGS is especially keen to contribute to this holistic approach by offering its vast experience and deep knowledge in ship operation and navigation in the Arctic policy discussions, always with a view to ensuring the safety of life at sea and the protection of the environment as absolute priorities”, Mr. Theodore E. Veniamis, President of the UGS, states.

NANA Regional Corporation is a for-profit Alaska Native Corporation with a social responsibility to its 14,300 Inupiat shareholders who are from Northwest Alaska. NANA has three focal areas of business including mineral development on NANA lands, providing services to the U.S. Government through its Federal Group of companies and serving a wide variety of customers, including the Alaska natural resources industry through its Commercial Group of companies.
Company website.

HENSOLDT Sensors GmbH is a globally leading supplier of premium sensors for security and surveillance missions, and they are well represented in the market for radar systems, optronics and electronic protection. The company has approximately 4,000 employees and their headquarter is in Germany.
Company website.

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) is a private, for-profit corporation that is owned by and represents the business interests of its approximately 12,000 Iñupiat Eskimo shareholders in the eight villages within the region: Point Hope, Point Lay, Wainwright, Atqasuk, Barrow, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik and Anaktuvuk Pass.
Corporate headquarters are based in Barrow, Alaska, with administrative and subsidiary offices located in Anchorage and throughout the United States. ASRC, along with its family of companies, is the largest Alaskan-owned company, employing approximately 10,000 people worldwide.
ASRC’s mission is to actively manage our businesses, our lands and resources, our investments, and our relationships to enhance Iñupiaq cultural and economic freedom – with continuity, responsibility, and integrity.
Lines of Business: Energy Support Services, Petroleum Refining and Marketing, Government Services, Construction, Industrial Services, Resource Development

Equinor is an international energy company and the world’s largest offshore operator, with 20 500 employees and operations in more than 30 countries worldwide. The company’s headquarter is in Stavanger, Norway. Equinor aims to be the world’s most carbon-efficient oil and gas producer, as well as driving innovation in offshore wind. Equinor recognize expert scientific consensus on human-induced climate change, and support action to meet the 2-degree target, the COP21 Paris agreement, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. Equinor is the leading offshore operator in the Norwegian Barents Sea, and has produced gas from the region since 2007. Equior has during recent years developed a portfolio of new energy solutions, currently delivering wind power to 650,000 British households. Until 2018 the company was named Statoil. Company website.

SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge has grown in step with the development of the local communities and the region. In the new century, Northern Norway boasts progressive businesses ranging from aquaculture and fishing to high tech and tourism; meanwhile, we have become a modern financial establishment that had total assets of NOK 93.5 billion at the end of Q3 2017.
SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge can carry out all banking services. This includes payment, savings, loans and insurance. SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge is easily accessible, with 38 offices in 36 municipalities in Nordland, Troms, Finnmark and Svalbard. In addition, people can find SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge online and on mobile device. Around 350 000 retail customers and around 40 000 corporate customers (including public sector, societies and associations) have chosen as their bank.
Company website

Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) is the Alaska Native Village Corporation for Barrow, Alaska and provides social and economic resources to over 2,900 shareholders and their descendants. Since its establishment, UIC has diversified its investments and consistently ranks among the top-10 largest Alaskan-owned companies. UIC employs more than 3000 people and provides services to clients in a variety of industries, including operations in Barrow; construction; architecture and engineering; regulatory consulting; information technology; marine operations; and maintenance and manufacturing. Company Website.

Permafrost Partner

Nunavut Fisheries Association (NFA) is a not for profit corporation established to present a united voice for Nunavut’s commercial fishing industry to stakeholders and the public at the territorial and federal levels. NFA also supports fisheries and ecosystem science and research activities in the Eastern Arctic, working collaboratively with stakeholders and conducting its own annual research program, all in support of sustainable fisheries development in the north.
The NFA’s current membership consists of four Inuit owned companies which hold 100% of the commercial allocations of Greenland halibut (turbot) and shrimp managed through the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
“Partnership with the AEC is an opportunity for us to further our goals on sustainable resource development, primarily for the benefit of the Inuit of the north and to have an active voice in the future of our territory and the broader arctic region. We are excited to collaborate and contribute to economic development in the Arctic with other Arctic businesses and nations,” comments Lootie Toomasie, Chair of the Nunavut Fisheries Association.
Mr. Toomasie continues: “NFA is very interested in supporting sustainable Arctic economic and business development and our members are looking forward to joining the AEC Working groups on Investments and Infrastructure and Responsible Resource Development. “

MENADO facilitates the development of North Atlantic/Arctic networks connecting Maine businesses, educators and innovation leaders with regional opportunities for trade in goods, services and innovation exchanges.